McDonald's Wants New Restaurant On Spencer Street

MANCHESTER — McDonald's has applied to build a new restaurant on vacant land at Spencer Street and Hillstown Road.

The 4,302-square-foot restaurant would have 56 parking spaces and a drive-through window, according to the application from McDonald's USA, LLC to the planning and zoning commission.

The site at 184-188 Spencer St. was the former home of Sharon Miller, Nancy Darby, an attorney, wrote in a recent letter to head town planner Mark Pellegrini. Darby wrote that she holds title to the land as trustee of the Sharon A. Miller Trust and confirmed consent for the McDonald's application.

Miller's former house has been demolished and the site is now a grassy field with a few trees. McDonald's seeks to build on 1.24 acres of the approximately 15-acre site, which is about 1.5 miles from the McDonald's restaurant on West Center Street.

Local attorney Stephen Penny, the owner's agent, said a public hearing on the application may be held in July, depending on the planning department's review of the application. Asked if the fast food restaurant chain's bid signals more development on the site, Penny said, "Theoretically, yes," but this is the only application that has been filed.

The site, which is in the midst of restaurants, stores and other businesses, has been the focus of some controversy. In 2011, the planning and zoning commission reversed course from a prior decision and approved rezoning the land for commercial use. The commission approved the change from rural residence to general business zone by a 3-2 vote after rejecting the same request in 2008. At that time, Konover Acquisitions sought to rezone the land for business use, but the commission's focus was on filling vacant buildings in the area.

Commission member Kevin Dougan said at the time that the plan of conservation and development "specifically says to preserve rural residential property," according to town records. "Because of the vacancy in the area now, approval of this application may make matters worse. Manchester needs to redevelop the existing vacant sites first."

By late 2011, however, vacancies were limited to the former Kmart and Jiffy Lube buildings.

"Other business structures on Spencer Street are fully occupied or near capacity," commission member (now chairman) Eric Prause wrote at the time. "The total vacancies are lower than what was reported in the 2008 Plan of Conservation and Development.

"We have also learned a lot about redevelopment from our experience with the Manchester Parkade," Prause continued. "A vacant building is not likely to attract occupancy. However, new development in the area may bring higher traffic and may increase interest in the old Kmart location."

The former Kmart has been demolished and Wal-Mart has sought to build a Supercenter on the site. Owners of the ShopRite supermarket across the street, however, have appealed the planning and zoning commission's approval of the Wal-Mart application in January 2013.

The appeal from Waverly Markets LLC, which is pending in Hartford Superior Court, contends that the commission abrogated its responsibility to hold Wal-Mart to regulations, "especially as the standards relate to adequacy of driveways, traffic circulation, roads and specific traffic congestion as a result of the proposed development."